W. Jakarta vendors gripped by anxiety
W. Jakarta vendors gripped by anxiety
JAKARTA (JP): Street vendors in West Jakarta are gripped with anxiety as they do not know when the government will evict them.
"Why doesn't the government just do what it wants, which is demolish our makeshift kiosks and move us elsewhere, instead of leaving us in limbo?" Sofian, a trader, told The Jakarta Post yesterday.
Some 200 traders on Jl. Petak Sembilan learned that they had to move out about three weeks ago after having been on the site for more than 30 years. The government apparently wants to reopen the street which has for many years been blocked by traders.
On March 28, the mayor issued a demolition order giving the traders three days to vacate the street in Jakarta's Chinatown district of Glodok.
Plans to demolish the kiosks on Apr. 3, April 10 and yesterday did not materialize. A demolition squad visited the site yesterday but nothing happened.
Karsidin, head of a demolition squad, said that the first two operations failed because a substitute site for the traders had not been made available.
Karsidin added that vegetables and meat traders would be allocated to the Sawah Besar market, while other traders would be moved to a site near Glodok known as HWI. Those who want to move elsewhere may choose other markets.
Sariffudin, a textile trader, told the Post that the traders support the government's plan but they intend to stick together.
"We need diversity of goods, the way we are, to attract customers, while the allocated sites will separate us from each other," she said.
The government issued an ultimatum yesterday asking the traders to demolish their own kiosks.
Most traders said that they knew nothing about the order demanding that they demolish their own kiosks. Traders said they noticed security personnel passing through the market this morning but business went on as usual.
Sofyan noted that business has turned from bad to worst and unrest pervades among the traders as well as customers.
"We used to earn up to Rp 200,000 a day. Now we're lucky if we get Rp 40,000," he said. (14)